Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Labyrinth 10th Floor (2)
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On the 10th floor of the Labyrinth, from what I've scouted out, there are three monsters I really need to watch out for.
The first is the troll. Its insane regenerative ability combined with the sheer power from its massive bulk is a huge threat to me. I might be able to take it down with another dose of poison... but either way, I'd rather not run into one.
The second is the golem. Stone golems show up occasionally on the 10th floor. Since they're not made of flesh and blood to begin with, [Poison Arts] don't work on them, and sword attacks barely scratch their bodies. On top of that, my usual go-to [Sensory Block] doesn't even faze them. They're basically my natural predator.
The third is...
'Eek.'
My nose, enhanced by [Sensory Amplification], picks up the musky stench of beasts. I stop examining the moss around me, activate [Stealth], and slip into a crevice between the rocks.
A short while later, three massive wolves with crimson fur come sniffing around the spot where I was just standing, nosing about.
Thanks to covering myself with various mosses I'd gathered from the surroundings beforehand and activating [Stealth], the wolves circling the area soon wander off elsewhere.
Those wolves just now are the third monster I have to watch out for. Called Crimson Wolves, they're monsters that hunt in packs, using their incredibly sensitive sense of smell to track down prey.
They have a strong pack mentality, so even if you take down one or two, if even a single one gets away, it'll call the rest of its kin, making them a real pain.
Coming to the 10th floor solo with no wide-area attacks to speak of, I have to avoid facing multiple enemies at all costs.
Good thing I looked up the info ahead of time and rubbed moss all over myself. Plus, most of the monsters I've dealt with so far have been skeletons, so no blood's gotten on me.
Since entering the 10th floor, I've stopped consuming poison too. It might give off a scent by accident.
What's interesting is the relationship between these three monsters.
Crimson Wolves even hunt trolls. They travel in packs and perform group hunts, easily pinpointing trolls by their distinctive stench, then use their high intelligence to clear out any nearby creatures that could serve as food for the troll.
Without enough calories to fuel its regeneration, the troll gradually starves and weakens. Then the wolves swoop in for the easy kill. They dodge the troll's club with their signature agility.
On the flip side, even these powerful Crimson Wolves can't stand up to stone golems. Their claws and fangs can't even scratch the golem's body, and their tactic of starving living things to death doesn't work on a non-living golem. If a stone golem chases them down—which it never tires of doing—they can only run for their lives.
And this stone golem? It gets smashed to pieces every time it encounters a troll. The troll's raw strength is enough to pulverize the golem's body, and it just regenerates from the golem's simplistic physical attacks.
That's how the 10th floor of the Labyrinth maintains this bizarre balance through their predator-prey relationships. Each monster sticks to its own territory, never encroaching on the others'.
Once I confirm the Crimson Wolves' sounds have faded into the distance, I emerge from the rock crevice and resume searching for moss. My goal is twenty pieces, but I've only found seven so far.
Tch... Did someone beat me to it? That's way too few.
Honestly, this is a problem. No matter how much I search, I can't find any moss, so I ended up venturing into Crimson Wolf territory, and still only seven...
I really don't want to, but staying on the 10th floor much longer is risky.
In the end, to gather the rest of the moss, I head toward the stone golem's territory this time.
"Hmm... the refreshing scent of the 10th floor."
And right around the time Ian is about to enter the stone golem's territory, a man steps onto the 10th floor.
Dressed in black with a mask covering his entire face, the man examines the surroundings before pulling out a note he'd brought with him.
-Ian. Beginner Adventurer. About two months since registering as an adventurer, but rumors say he'll be promoted to intermediate soon.
-Known to mainly use a sword, with occasional sightings of him using a bow.
-Special notes: Possesses [Poison Resistance] and is said to use poison himself.
The man confirms the info from the Intelligence Guild once more—along with Ian's description—before his eyes settle on the most crucial detail scribbled in the corner of the note.
-High likelihood of being the first discoverer of the new ruins on Labyrinth floor 9.
A smile creeps across the man's lips as he reads the final line. He carefully folds the note and tucks it away.
The Labyrinth Guild tries to keep adventurers' info under wraps when possible, but in this world—where skills and such exist—no secret is ever perfect.
Having safely stowed the expensive intel he'd bought, the man activates his own skill, [Tracking]. A faint sense of the path he needs to take washes over him.
"The ruins already looted clean? No way that's true."
Obviously, someone got there first and cleaned them out. And the most likely culprit is the first discoverer.
Among the reliable info he could acquire, he'd learned that this 'Ian' had headed to the 10th floor for his intermediate promotion test.
To be safe, he'd spent his remaining coin to block anyone else from buying the info, then came alone to monopolize it all by hunting down Ian.
No problem. From the intel, the guy at least has a spatial expansion magic tool, so grabbing him won't be a loss.
He doesn't even consider the possibility of failure.
After all, he's an intermediate adventurer who's reached floor 19.
"Ah, this is annoying."
I finally made it into the stone golem's territory to search for moss, but I've only gathered thirteen so far. At this rate, I'll have to go into the troll's area.
I grumble for a moment, but then I hear heavy footsteps approaching from afar and hurriedly leave the spot. Stone golems are a terrible matchup for me.
[Stealth] doesn't work great here because of how it detects ambient mana, so the best policy with stone golems is to bail the moment you hear their footsteps.
Damn, I'm really going to end up in the troll's territory.
Feeling deep fatigue from maintaining [Stealth] for who knows how many hours, I down a stamina potion in one gulp. I have to consume stuff like this in the stone golem's area beforehand, since it doesn't rely on smell.
Can't risk giving off scents in the troll or Crimson Wolf territories...
As I take a quick breather, sipping some water and chewing rations, a sudden wave of murderous intent hits me, and I leap to my feet.
'What the hell? This insane killing intent?'
[Enemy Detection] Skill Warning
Killing intent far beyond Crimson Wolf or Stone Golem. Approaching directly without concealment.
The [Enemy Detection] skill is blaring an insane warning. Way beyond the Crimson Wolves or stone golem from before. And it's barreling straight toward me without hiding its hostility at all.
Thinking can wait. I hurriedly stuff the food back into my bracelet and bolt without even properly maintaining [Stealth].
'Damn, what is this now?'
But no matter how fast I run, the distance to the enemy I'm sensing via [Enemy Detection] doesn't widen. No—if anything, the killing intent feels closer with every passing second.
'This is bad. At this rate, I'll tire out first!'
I'm already exhausted from prolonged [Stealth]. If I just keep running, the gap will close, and I'll end up fighting while drained.
Instead, I decide to create a variable. I sharply turn into a narrow passageway.
As I enter the pass, I pull poisonous herbs from my inventory. I'd tried to avoid anything smelly, but now's not the time to be picky. On top of that, I place 'that thing' I grabbed from floor 9 over a fire.
I use a fire starter to ignite it in one go. Acrid smoke quickly fills the passage. Surrounded by this poison smoke, I recover mana via [Mana Breathing] while watching the direction of the approaching hostility.
-Thud. Thud.
As if the enemy has noticed I've stopped, its approach slows. And when [Enemy Detection]'s warning is close enough, human footsteps—not a monster's—echo from beyond the passage.
"Hey there?"
The figure that emerges is a weirdo in a mask covering his face. All I can tell is he's about 180 cm tall, has rounded ears, and sounds male.
Never heard the voice before. But my [Enemy Detection] skill is screaming that this guy's an enemy.
"My [Tracking] skill isn't all that great, you see... Problem is, sometimes the target notices they're being hunted."
I grip my sword, staying tense, as the man continues in a relaxed tone. He glances around, eyes the smoke I've set up, and mocks me with exaggerated gestures.
"Wondered why you stopped so suddenly... Just poison smoke, huh? What kind of hunter doesn't scout their prey's info? I already knew you use poison."
".......You're here to hunt me?"
"Yeah. Thought you were mute, but you talk just fine."
The man brazenly admits he's here to hunt me. I just need... a little more time.
"What's your goal? After a spatial expansion magic tool too?"
"Oh. That info was iffy, but looks like you do have one."
I figured it was the same reason as those criminals before, but he acts like he didn't know, smirking smugly. Not the inventory? Then why...
"The ruins on floor 9."
"........."
"You were the first to find them, right?"
The man probes like he's testing me, but I stay silent. As if he didn't expect an answer anyway, he draws a weapon from his belt—a black knife, blade to hilt all pitch dark.
"Eh, wasn't expecting you to talk anyway. You've already spilled everything worth saying, so you're dead meat."
Spinning the knife idly, he starts closing the distance bit by bit. Just a little more...
"No idea why you're glancing around like that, but you trusting this poison? I popped a potion beforehand. Alchemy Guild stuff. So don't bother struggling..."
-Boom! Boom!
As he draws near, heavy footsteps thunder from the far end of the passage. Judging by my position, it has to be a troll. In case the poison smoke's scent wasn't enough, I'd also tossed some urk meat—the stuff trolls go crazy for—onto the fire.
"Ha. Thought you were waiting for something big... Just a troll? Predictable. What, hoping it'll fight me? I just need to grab you and—!"
He grips the spinning knife properly and crouches low, lunging at me in an instant.
Now!
"Ignore the troll, huh... Gah!"
The moment I pour mana into my bracelet, the item I'd stored in my inventory shoots out, blocking the space between me and the man. His knife slices it clean in two, but I backpedal frantically, dodging the blood gushing from the 'urk corpse' I'd deployed.
"What the—where'd this come fro—"
"GRRROOOOAR!"
As the man falters in surprise, the troll drawn by the scent roars thunderously and closes in. I whip around and leap away in one motion.
"!! Where do you think you're going! I'm faster anyway!"
The man shakes off his shock, flashes a wicked grin, and gives chase.
"GRRROOOOAR!"
And the troll, lured by the delicious aroma, follows after them both.